The Business Travel People Awards: winner's Q&A

We were of course delighted to win the award. Day to day the team is busy ensuring that our clients and inhouse teams have access to the right technology solutions to manage every aspect of travel from booking to reporting and everything in between. They rarely have time to stand back and take in the breadth of what they do and how well they do it, so it’s great to have external recognition of the quality of the work of the entire team.

Awards normally recognise client-facing teams such as reservations or account management. Our MD Julie Oliver felt that it was high-time that there was some recognition for the efforts made by the ‘back room team’ who are a little like Cinderella and rarely get to go to the ball, so she suggested that the Operations Team should be nominated.

The operations team plays a vital role in

Business Travel Direct that touches every area of the company. Essentially, we provide the technology solutions that help our account teams to deliver on service commitments they have made to clients.

The team is tasked with finding new products and looking at innovative solutions as well as creating bespoke technology for clients. The operations team played an invaluable role in enabling Business Travel Direct to be the first TMC in the world to have booked BA NDC content through SAP Concur. This was incredible work by the entire team and testimony to their commitment to excellence.

How did it feel to be named Operations Team of the Year at The Business Travel People Awards 2019?

Why did you enter the awards or how did you come to be nominated?

The Business

Travel People Awards recognise outstanding individuals and teams from TMCS and supplier companies across the

industry

Tell us about the role of the team and the work you did to clinch the award.

What do you particularly enjoy about your role?

Variety is what makes the job so enjoyable. No two days are the same: one day we could be working with a client creating a bespoke solution for them and the next we could be dealing with internal teams. We’re a close-knit team who thrive on finding innovative technology and improving technology solutions.

What did you think of the awards and of the ceremony?

We were working on an urgent issue on the day of the ceremony, but the colleagues who attended really enjoyed the ceremony and were very happy to celebrate our success. We’re determined to win again so we can attend and enjoy the event!

What are some of the biggest challenges you’re currently facing in your role?

The coronavirus outbreak has taken up quite a chunk of our time recently. The company took the decision to close all offices to keep everyone safe and the operations team had to ensure that everyone could work efficiently from home.

Our teams are spread across six locations and we’ve had to ensure that everyone has access to the right technology and systems to be able to work remotely. The top priority was the reservations team who are the first point of contact for clients and had to be able to continue to provide a seamless service throughout.